GORHAM, Maine  –  As part of a weekend long Homecoming and Family Weekend celebration the University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics will enshrine several former standout student-athletes and key athletic department figures as part of its 37th Annual Husky Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony on Sunday, October 15 (5:00 pm) at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland, Maine presented by Gorham House of Pizza.  The seven new inductees will bring the number of former Huskies in the Hall to 251. 
 
Gathering to celebrate the outstanding legacies, achievements and performances of past University of Southern Maine student-athletes, coaches and administrators, the 2023 Husky Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony is one of the highlights of each academic year, and brings some of the Huskies' best and brightest back to the University.  This year's Husky Hall of Fame class includes standouts from baseball, ice hockey, tennis, cross country, track & field, volleyball, wrestling and basketball.

• Tyler Adams, Class of 2017 - Tennis
• Chris Burleson, Class of 2013 - Baseball
• Molly Carl, Class of 2013 – Cross Country, Track & Field
• Jonathan Deupree, Class of 2015 - Wrestling
• Todd A. Miranda, Class of 2023 - Basketball
• Holly Manning Russo, Class of 2005 – Ice Hockey
• Jess Williamson, Class of 2019 – Volleyball

 
Established in the fall of 1985 with the initial induction ceremony taking place in 1986, the Husky Hall of Fame was created to recognize the outstanding athletic achievements of graduates of the University of Southern Maine and its predecessor institutions – Western Maine Normal School, Gorham Normal School, Gorham State Teachers College, the University of Maine Portland and the University of Maine at Portland-Gorham.   The first Hall of Fame class included seven men and two women chosen out of nearly 50 nominees.  Each of the 2023 inductees were selected on the basis of superior athletic and academic achievement, and a commitment to their communities after graduation. 
 
2023 Husky Hall of Fame Inductees
 
Tyler Adams, Class of 2017, Men's Tennis
A three-time Little East Conference Player of the Year, Tyler Adams finished his remarkable career with a 40-2 record in singles and an unblemished 18-0 against Little East Conference opponents as the Huskies' no. 1. In doubles action, Adams was 36-9 overall and 17-1 in LEC action, going 12-0 over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. 
 
Leading Southern Maine to back-to-back-to-back Little East Conference Championships and appearances in the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament, the Huskies were 37-10 during Adams' career and an undefeated 18-0 against Little East Conference teams. In his first season with the Huskies, Adams went 15-2 in singles action (6-0 LEC) and 11-4 in doubles (5-1 LEC) and led USM to the 2014 LEC Championship with a 5-1 win over UMass Boston.  The 2014 championship marked the program's second conference title and first since the 2007 season. 
 
Adams and the Huskies went on to defeat UMass Dartmouth 5-0 in the 2015 LEC Championship, and again defeating UMass Boston in 2016 by the score of 5-0 to complete the three-peat.  Adams' 6-2, 6-0 win at first singles over UMass Boston's Austin DeLasse in the championship match was his 39^th consecutive victory at no. 1 singles.
 
Chris Burleson, Class of 2013, Baseball
An American Baseball Coaches' Association (ABCA) Division III All-American, and a D3baseball.com Division III All-American shortstop for the Huskies' baseball team, Chris Burleson concluded his successful playing career as the University of Southern Maine and was drafted by Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds in the 36^th round of the MLB Draft.
 
A career .350 hitter with 139 RBI, 39 doubles, 12 triples and 12 home runs, Burleson matched his offensive ability as a part of the Huskies infield with a career .922 fielding percentage with 285 putouts and 310 assists.  Ranked 19^th in career games played (174), Burleson is first in career runs scored (214), first in walks (151), sixth in stolen bases (72), seventh in triples (12), eighth in home runs (25), 11^th in total bases (359), 21^st in hits (221), 22^nd in RBI (139) and 19^th in slugging percentage (.569). 
 
During the 2008 season, Burleson was named the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Division III Player of the Year, the Little East Conference Player of the Year and an ECAC Division III New England All-Star first team selection after hitting .383 (72-for-188) with a career-best 50 RBI.  Earning All-America honor from the ABCA in 2008, and then from D3baseball.com in 2009, Burleson helped Southern Maine to a record of 131-55 overall and 45-15 in Little East Conference play, including three trips to the NCAA Regional Championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009. 
 
Molly Carl, Class of 2013, Cross Country, Track & Field
A highly accomplished student-athlete as a member of the women's cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, Molly Carl won numerous individual and team championships, and a variety of academic and athletic awards during time at Southern Maine.
 
A Little East Conference Champion, NCAA Division III All-American and Academic All-American as a member of the cross country team, Carl was the LEC Runner of the Year in 2013 and a two-time NCAA Division III National Championship qualifier. Placing 11^th in an exceptionally competitive field of 353 runners at the 2011 NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship, Carl became just the sixth Husky women's cross country runner to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Earning All-New England status in that race, Carl covered the 6000-meter course in 21 minutes, 42.15 seconds. At the NCAA Championship hosted in Wisconsin, Carl became just the second member of the USM women's cross country team to earn All-America honors finishing 27^th overall. Competing in the elite field that included 277 finishers, Carl completed the 6,000-meter course in a time of 21:35.48.  Running in the lead pack, she covered the first mile in 5:35 to settle in the 25th position.  Carl went through the two-mile mark in 29th place at 11:27, and picked up three positions by the three-mile mark with a split time of 17:20.  Carl was the seventh finisher among the athletes representing schools from the New England Region.
 
 An LEC Champion in the mile and 3000-meters as a member of the indoor track & field team, Carl qualified for the mile at the NCAA Division III Championship in 2012, and was named the conference's Track Athlete of the Year.  As a member of the outdoor track & field team, Carl, a 2012 Academic All-American, claimed LEC championships in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters. Qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championship, Carl became (at the time) the fifth USM competitor to earn All-American honors in outdoor track & field in record setting fashion, placing sixth in the 3000-meter steeplechase, covering the event in 10 minutes, 40.67 seconds to break her own former school record by more than eight seconds.
 
Jonathan Deupree, Class of 2015, Wrestling
A back-to-back NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Champions (184 pounds), Jonathan Deupree finished a stellar three-year career with the Huskies' wrestling program with a record of 66-11, including 16 wins by fall.  Surpassing the 20-win mark in his final two seasons, Deupree was an outstanding 52-8 during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons. He was named to the All-New England Wrestling Association teams in 2014 (second team) and 2015 (first team).
 
Placing fifth at the NCAA regional championship (2013) in his first season to earn All-Region status, Deupree continued his upward trajectory claiming the title of Regional Champion in 2014 and 2015. At the 2014 NCAA Regional Championship, Deupree rumbled his way to the final and earned a thrilling overtime win by fall (7:37) victory over Roger Williams' David Welch to punch his first of two tickets to the NCAA Championship, and was named the tournament's Co-Wrestler of the Championship.  Ranked in the top 10 nationally for a majority of his final season, Deupree defended his title in 2015, posting a 4-0 record at the regional championship and defeating SUNY Cortland's Tyler Beckwith by decision in overtime 9-7. 
 
Todd Miranda, Class of 2023, Basketball
A 1000-point scorer and member of the 1989 Little East Conference champion men's basketball team, Todd Miranda helped the Huskies to a record of 83-34 during his playing career (1986-1990) and 26-14 against Little East Conference opponents.  Earning All-Little East Conference (honorable mention) honors as a senior during the 1989-90 season, Miranda finished his career with 1163 points, 269 rebounds, 570 assists, and 174 steals. The Huskies' guard shot an outstanding 48.8 percent (484-992) from the field. 
 
During each of his four seasons, Miranda and the Huskies won at least 20 games.  Playing in 105 career games, Miranda helped Southern Maine to four appearances in the Little East Conference championship game with the Huskies prevailing over Plymouth State, 84-66, in the 1989 title game for the program's first and to-date only LEC Championship.  The Huskies went on to compete in the NCAA Championship advancing to the 1989 NCAA Division III Final Four, finishing third nationally - to this date the furthest any USM men's basketball has advanced in the national tournament. 
 
Holly Manning Russo, Class of 2005, Ice Hockey
Leading Southern Maine in scoring each of her four years as a member of the women's ice hockey team, Holly Manning is one of two Huskies to earn the title of American Hockey Coaches' Association (AHCA) All-American in program history. The program's all-time leading scorer with 123 points on 81 goals and 42 assists, Manning was the backbone of the Southern Maine offense from 1999-2003.
 
Named to the 1999-2000 ECAC Women's Division III League All-Rookie Team after setting the school record for goals in a season by a freshman (25), Manning earned All-ECAC Division III honors, including first team honors as a senior during the 2002-2003 season.  
 
Tied for sixth in the nation (Division III) in goals per game in her final season, Manning was named the ECAC Women's Division III Player of the Year – the first player in the history of the Huskies' women's ice hockey team to earn such an honor.  A prolific goal scorer, Manning holds the Huskies' record for career goals (81), career points (123), and game-winning goals (13).  She also is the single-season record holder for goals (25), and points (40).  Thirteen of her 81 goals were game-winning goals, and she had six hat tricks over her career.
 
During her career the Huskies had a winning record each of the four seasons, and an overall record of 58-34-9. 
 
Jess Williamson, Class of 2019, Volleyball
Named the 2014 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year, Jess Williamson went on to have a prolific career as a member of the Huskies' volleyball team setting numerous program records and becoming the first, and so far, only Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Year, earning the honor as a senior in 2017.
 
A four-time All-Little East Conference selection, and a three-time first team All-LEC pick, Williamson finished her four-year career playing in 121 matches (418 sets).  She compiled a total of 1,849 kills (4.42 kills per set) on 4,499 total attacks.  She also had 1,310 digs (3.13 digs per set), 155 service aces and 87 total blocks.  She is the only player in school history to compile 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career.
 
Ranked eighth in the nation in kills per set (4.40/set) as a senior, and 15^th in points per set (4.82/set), Williamson was the first USM player to be selected to play in the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) Senior All-Star Game and Skills Competition.
 
An outstanding student, Williamson earned her biology degree as a four-time winner of the USM Athletic Department's William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete Award.  She still ranks first in career kills (1849), kills per set (4.423), attack attempts (4499), and is fifth in hitting percentage (.254), sixth in digs per set (3.134), ninth in block assists (61), and ninth in service aces (155).